


You Are No Match For Me

by MemeHumnut



Category: Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: Anger, Gen, Revenge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-05
Updated: 2015-06-08
Packaged: 2018-04-03 00:35:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4079863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MemeHumnut/pseuds/MemeHumnut
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Goblin Kingdom had fallen, and Jareth was now a shadow of his former self. His defeat had caused more problems than he wanted anyone to know - and it was all Sarah's fault, and he would make her pay for it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Crushed King

Chapter 1: The Crushed King

 

The magic that had bound the Goblin Kingdom together had been broken, and could only have been broken by defeating the Goblin King. The ruins of Jareth’s kingdom lay around him, a miserable reminder of his once great power. Some of the rubble of his castle remained floating in the ether, still being held by the weakening magic. His subjects had been thrown to the furthest parts of the magical world; such was the force that destroyed it all. He now faced the unenviable task of rebuilding the thousands of years the kingdom had once been from the desolation that remained; and to rebuild himself too from the little that was left of his life.

How could a girl of fifteen have such power to destroy a kingdom that magic should have been able to protect? How could a Fey such as himself have been weakened by her defiance and determination? Of all the runners he had met, none had had the wit or wisdom to beat the thirteen hours before. The crystal spheres gave him no answers. Neither the dream crystals nor the crystals of past and present gave any indication. He had even tried the crystal of magic, to see if he had missed any other magical presence, the examination of which gave no reply.

Since the kingdom’s destruction, he had flown, in his owl-form, past the house where Sarah lived numerous times. He watched with curiosity and increased frustration as her life progressed from defeater of his kingdom to a home that was stronger and happier. He heard her sing and talk to her little brother, telling him how much she loved him and would never wish him away again. He saw her throw away her toys and costumes, and began making friends. He saw her celebrate those little triumphs that make mortals so happy: those personal successes that made him laugh at their non-magical lives.

 _He_ had some triumph though. When he saw his traitorous subjects in her bedroom after the kingdoms defeat, he had made sure that Sarah was never able to see or communicate with them again. The tearful unhappiness this left her with gave him the pleasure he felt he deserved. Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus, Ambrosius, and all the others that were seen to take her side, were found and exiled to other magical kingdoms, where he had it made known their part in the destruction of the Goblin City. This was a small measure of victory in comparison to his loss, but none-the-less a step in regaining his reputation. He would never let the other magical kingdoms know the extent of his failure. But, how had he failed so badly? Her love of fairy stories and child-like innocence would never have caused such damage, or allowed her to win her brother back. Sheer determination alone would never have sufficed, because the Labyrinth was meant to be confusing and put the runner in the wrong direction. Jareth was sure of that because his beloved Labyrinth was his invention. Of all the kings in the history of the Goblin realm, each had devised a plan to make sure each taken child was never found. With riddles and puzzles, along with the cunning of magic, each king found delight in outwitting the runners. After all, why would a king, and a Fey king at that, allow himself to be defeated by a mortal?

He had heard the rumours that he had fallen in love with the girl, another that he had helped her along the way, and another that he had even made sure that she found her brother. Poppycock and nonsense! But then there were rumours that angered him, but which even he felt there must be an element of truth in. Trying to work out how a mere slip of a girl defeated such a king as he only led to a few conclusions; none of which he wanted to think about.

Jareth had started almost immediately to rebuild his kingdom, but the magic needed to bind it together alone would take years to create; thousands of years had been destroyed in a moment. An immense range of protective charms, bewitching spells and hexes were needed to cover every building, plant, animal and magical being alone, before considering the defences needed to protect his kingdom from other powerful magical rulers. And whilst remaining in his weakened state, the threat from such rulers was great. Oh, yes, Sarah had caused all of this. So he made plans to bide his time, and when ready, punish her for what she had done. He just needed to find out _how_ she did it.

 

⃝⃝⃝

 

The Magical Assembly were not impressed by Jareth’s reply, or any of his defensive replies.

“Goblin King, you were called here to answer for the destruction of your realm. It is not surprising that the other magical rulers need to know what happened. Yours was one of the strongest kingdoms, and it has fallen.”

The Assembly leader sat hard back in his chair and looked sternly at Jareth from across the table.

“It has been suggested to us that a non-magical being brought down the Goblin City,” the leader continued. “You must understand the fears in our world that this produces. Saying you don’t know hardly engenders the confidence of this assembly.”

Jareth had been angry as soon as he had received the communication crystal to attend a hearing after his defeat. The rumours that had been rife had drifted to the Magical Assembly leaders ears, leading to them wonder what the Goblin King had done to lose such a powerful realm. In Jareth’s opinion the kingdom wasn’t lost, just a bit of a mess, and he wouldn’t have attended the hearing if it wasn’t for a bond of magic that came with the crystal. Any refusal to attend would have led to being bound in the Royal dungeon until he agreed. As it was he arrived, angry that he was wasting time when he could be putting the city back together. He had made this perfectly clear to them, but the rumour-mills had gone into overdrive and these had only made matters worse, and he had enough to deal with as it was.

Jareth rested his head on the back of his seat, closed his eyes and breathed deeply. It wouldn’t do to lose his temper in front of some most respected people of the magical world. He turned his attention to the ten men looking intently at him.

“I thought I made it perfectly clear when I exiled my subjects, that the nature of the defeat came from within my own kingdom,” he said icily, refusing to be drawn further on the subject.

“Yes,” said one of the co-leaders “but why would they do such a thing? It’s incomprehensible to us.”

“They had made _friends_ with the girl in question,” he snapped back, almost spitting out the word ‘friends’.

Jareth pulled himself up in his chair from where he had slipped down. He had been here for over two hours and the line of questioning hadn’t changed. Not only that, but the wooden chair he was sitting on had become an unwanted punishment on his bottom and back. He could no longer find a comfortable position in which to sit, and he swore to himself that if he ever came back he would bring a cushion. He couldn’t magic one up as it would be frowned upon in such a serious setting as this. The ten men conferred in whispers until another spoke to Jareth.

“It has also been suggested to us that you helped the girl. Is there any truth in this?”

“No.”

The ten men looked at each other and the Assembly leader spoke again.

“Really, Goblin King, we need more than that. Any intervention you may have given needs to be properly presented here. You’re obvious refusal to defend yourself gives reason for grave concern.”

The ten men of the assembly stared down the oblong table at him in a silence that could provoke the devil in any Fey king. With their white bearded faces and black clothes, it was hard to tell them apart; the only difference being the Assembly Leader’s sleeveless red coat.

“Any assistance it may _seem_ I gave was only done to hinder her progress. The drugged peach for example.”

The assembly conferred again and nodded their heads. It was unlikely, in Jareth’s opinion, that the assembly had done anything except listen to the rumours that abounded. The Magical Assembly played an important part in Fey law, but like all magical creatures became fearful of any threat to the magical world.

“One last question,” said the leader. “It has also been suggested to us that the girl has magical abilities. Is this possible?”

This was not the question Jareth wanted to be faced with. It was one the many things he had contemplated, but refused to accept. And yet, with all the questions with no answers, it seemed to be the only possibility. Jareth became restless in his chair and irritated that he now had to listen to himself give a reply. Lying is not an acceptable thing for a Fey to do, and would only do in exceptional circumstances. He could only give an evasive response.

“The girl is mortal. I saw nothing that gave any indication of magic from her. Even the crystal of magic saw no magical intervention.”

But even then, he knew that might not be the entire truth.

 

⃝⃝⃝

 

Jareth huffed his way out of the Magical Assembly court.

‘Damn glad that’s over,” he thought to himself.

But it would never be over until he got to the bottom of it himself.

“There must be a way to find out,” he muttered.

The Goblin King had changed since the fall of the realm. His magical power had been diminished which meant that most times he was in his owl-form. He now lacked the beauty he had, with his pallor now grey and dimmed eyes. The clothes he wore were rags compared to the clothes he used to wear. Gone were the silky fabrics, plush leather, frills and furbelows. All he could create now were worn old rags that certainly didn’t fit the title of King. So he felt better as his alter ego. As an owl, he felt none of the pressures of court, assembly or anything else. He was able to feel and think freely. It was in this form that he flew through the sky and soared above the land. Like this he felt as he could do and be anything.

As he landed amongst the rubble that was his kingdom, he transformed back to his recognisable facade. One part of the castle remained intact – the dungeon. It was here that he lived for the present, in a dark and airless void. It still contained all the torture instruments that many kings had used; but not him. Torture tools weren’t something that he felt a king should really possess, let alone use on his enemies – or subjects. King Harlech had been known for that – break one rule and find yourself stretched out with burning coals placed on you. He knew all the stories; he’d been brought up on them.  Jareth knew that he wasn’t as bad as some of them. He did at least give his subjects a chance if he could.

As he walked down the steps to the lower level, the torches lit themselves for him. He pushed open a creaky, iron gate and watched as a large room illuminated and a fire burned brightly in the centre. This place was his one comfort, that he didn’t have to go begging to another King for a place to stay – least of all his own father. Jareth removed his gloves, tucked them in his belt and smiled to himself. At least one thing survived the defeat, and that was his throne. It was here he sat down before the fire, put a leg over one arm and produced a goblet of wine in his hand. Taking the first sip, he began to muse on the hearing. It was one thing for his father to be King Aber, Overlord of the Magical World, but another when he led the hearing in the assembly court. King Aber really tried pushing him to tell the assembly what had happened. But in reality that was a difficult question to answer. It could never be possible for a mortal to destroy a magical kingdom. Placing his goblet on the table next to him, Jareth produced a crystal in his hand. He concentrated and stared deeply until a picture of Sarah started to become visible. When the mist within the sphere had cleared, he could see her in the park where he first saw her, in what seemed an age ago. She was with that dog of hers, the one that reminded him of Ambrosius. She was walking over the small bridge that crossed the stream, and was humming to herself. The tune was vaguely familiar, but Jareth didn’t notice as he concentrated on her. Time had passed since he last saw her in the castle. Sarah was now seventeen and looked prettier than ever. She still had her long dark hair, and her green eyes still reminded him of emeralds; but she was losing that girlishness of childhood and becoming something more enticing. Jareth quickly shook that thought out of his head. He wasn’t looking at the crystal for that reason. With the tip of his finger, he lightly touched the orb. As he did so, it began to glow and then the glow pulsed. The scene in the crystal remained, but the colours changed – green, blue, red.  As the colours kept changing, Jareth grew frustrated. Would the crystal of magic never show him anything? With that thought, the crystal vanished. Jareth picked up his goblet and through it angrily across the room, the remains of his wine hissing as it fell into the fire.


	2. A Dangerous King

Chapter 2: A Dangerous King

 

Sarah loved walking in the park now. After returning from her adventure, she hesitated going back, wondering if ‘he’ would be there in his owl-form. She couldn’t help thinking that he still might be watching. There were times when she would lie awake at night and hear the hoot of an owl. She would jump up to see but by the time she got to her window it would stop. She thought she saw him one time, but she couldn’t be sure. But nothing ever happened; he never returned and the feeling gradually faded.

Even though it felt like a fairytale, she still wished that she could have seen Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus again. Despite her repeated attempts at her mirror to call for them, they never answered. Why this should have upset her she was no longer sure. Months went by, and she decided that it couldn’t be real – that _they_ couldn’t be real. She told herself that it had all been a dream to remind her to grow up and stop being so childish. She felt she needed to appreciate what she had and not wish it away. After all, how could a Goblin king be real?

She felt her time in the Goblin kingdom was a surreal, dreamlike experience; but what a dream it was to be experienced. She never felt the same afterward. She felt a love for Toby she never knew before, or, if she did, would never have admitted to. She never complained again about baby-sitting. Her toys and costumes found new homes, Toby the recipient for most of them. Her compliance with her parents was a surprise for them at first, but they were pleased to see a better Sarah emerging. So she eventually found her way back to the park. It was strange though, the tune she kept humming. She couldn’t place it, but it felt familiar somehow.

Her walk home was on time, something she now remembered to do. It was a way of getting on with her stepmother, which, despite Sarah’s best effort, still remained a difficult clash of personalities. As she approached the steps to the house, she turned to Merlin.

“Merlin. Kennel.”

After a whimper and pleading of the eyes, he turned and went to the back yard. Sarah unlocked the front door and was hit by the sound of silence within. Her father and stepmother had gone away for the weekend and Toby with them. Since they felt she was far more responsible these days, they had taken it upon themselves to trust her with an empty house. Sarah loved the idea when she was told, but now she was alone, the feeling of emptiness did not really agree with her. How she wished she could have gone with them to the city. Instead, the creaks and noises she could hear at night were rather unsettling. She could swear that the noises had only started when they left. To break the silence she put the television on for background noise, anything to make her feel that she wasn’t entirely alone.

After eating her dinner, Sarah decided to confine herself to her room. She put on her radio and sat on the bed with a magazine. Her bedroom looked rather different now. The clutter of toys and fairytale books had been replaced with classic novels and poetry, mainly which she had been studying at school. Anything she couldn’t bear to get rid of was packed into boxes, ‘just in case.’

The wind decided to get up that evening. Sarah wasn’t surprised, the weatherman said it would, but the shaking and rattling of the house would only increase the sense of how alone she was.

‘Great,’ she thought. ‘I wonder what else will... No. Don’t even go there.’

A heavy cloud cover had brought the darkness of the night early and made the increasing wind more eerie somehow. As it coiled and twisted around the house, Sarah concentrated on her magazine, hoping that the wind would subside sometime soon. Just as she turned a page, the lights went out and the radio went silent.

“Dammit!” she swore. “That’s not what I need right now.”

She moved off her bed and started rummaging in her closet for a torch. As she did, the wind suddenly increased and violently shook the window. Sarah spun around, startled and heart pounding. In the darkness she could just see the window vibrating, as though it had a mind of its own. Then something hit it, which made her stumble back. What it was she couldn’t see.

Then again, and again.

It kept on as though it was trying to force its way in. Again and again, until finally the window burst open and the ‘something’ flew in. Sarah instinctively shielded her face with her arms, and when she peeked through them, she could see – _he_ was back.

Sarah slowly lowered her arms, and felt her heart pounding in her throat.

“Well, well, Sarah. We meet again.” Jareth spoke, crossing his arms.

His voice cut through her, piercing her stomach. In the semi-darkness he seemed to tower over her. She could hear a humming sound – the sound of magic that surrounded him. It was him, but he was different. He wasn’t dressed in his finery, but ragged and tired, like the last time she saw him. But it was his eyes – his eyes were something else. His eyes burned, and Sarah realised that this wouldn’t be like the last time. She was truly afraid. She wanted to say something, but nothing would come. She could only open and close her mouth, whilst staring at him.

“What! No warm welcome, Sarah. It’s been some time after all.”

“Get away from me,” she managed to say through her dry mouth.

Sarah knew what she was fighting against. It was the same as when they first met – that drawing in she felt from him, that compelling feeling when she looked into his eyes. She was fighting to keep her common sense from being overridden by his very presence.

“Don’t resist me, Sarah. You may have won, but this is far from over.”

He took a step forward which made Sarah walk backwards into the wall. The labyrinth was no dream, and Jareth looked very real. Fear was vibrating through her body. Jareth looked beaten, but he felt very dangerous. His eyes glared so hard at her she felt she would break into little pieces.

“What do you mean?” she trembled, her voice small and pitiful.

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done to me? he growled. “I have nothing now. A ruin for a kingdom, no subjects to rule and a life that’s not fit for a king.”

The coldness of his voice made her veins turn to ice. She wished she could melt through the wall to get away from him. He stopped and stared at her for a moment, and then a cold smile drew upon his face. He walked closer and bent over, his face almost touching hers. He placed a hand against the wall and looked over her face.

“You know, you’re prettier than I remember. Not so much the girl anymore, are you.”

His words made her shudder as she felt his breath on her face. He was too close. Sarah turned her head and shut her eyes; she didn’t want to look at him.

“Oh, don’t worry. That’s not why I’m here.”

He stood up straight and crossed his arms again, examining her as she slowly turned her face back to him.

“So, why are you here?” she trembled.

Jareth smiled again, knowing the reaction he would get. He had been looking forward to this.

“To take you back.”

“There is no way I’m going back!”

She wanted to shout at him, but her voice was getting hoarse with the dry air. Jareth just smiled.

“Tsk, tsk. Still defiant as ever, Sarah. Do you really think you have a choice?”

“There’s no reason to take me back. And Toby’s not here, so you can’t take him either. You have no power over us.”

Jareth burst out laughing.

“It’s astonishing! You’re still just as amusing. Why on earth would I want that child. You got him back. I have no claim on him. But you, dear little miss, will do as you’re told.”

Jareth’s voice tightened and his voice went cold again.

“As for having no power, this is a very different state of affairs, and those words won’t work this time.”

Sarah spoke quietly, with fear tingeing her words

“Why would you want me to go me back?”

“So many questions. You owe me a kingdom, Sarah. The one that you destroyed. The one that you will restore.”

“Me? How can I ...?”

“Thank you for your kind offer. I knew you wouldn’t let me down,” he smirked.

“No! That isn’t what I meant!”

“Don’t be modest, Sarah dear. I knew you would want to help.”

“I meant that I don’t know how to. I have no magic,” she protested.

Jareth rested his hand on his chin.

“That’s what I thought. But your little escapade did more than that. For a mere mortal to do what you did is impossible. So there has to be something more to you than I expected.”

“I said the words, that’s all. Anyone can say them.”

Jareth sighed in frustration. He would normally enjoy sparring with her, but her defiance was rapidly losing its pleasure for him.

“Sarah, do you understand what the Labyrinth is? It’s not only a ploy to stop the seeker finding the child, but part of the protection of my realm. You may have found your way into the castle and said those words, but you should only have been able to recover the child, your _dear_ little brother, not destroy my kingdom. Words alone don’t have the effect of turning everything to rubble. That’s why I tried to stop you from finishing them, because of what I saw was happening. There’s something about you Sarah, and I mean to find out what it is. Only then will I know how to get my kingdom back.”

Sarah’s back straightened, and lifted her chin to him, trying to act confidently.

“I don’t believe you. You lost, and you can’t stand that. That’s what this is about.”

Sarah gasped as Jareth grabbed her arm and pulled her to him.

“No, Sarah, this is about far more than that! And I’m not going to wait any longer. Don’t push me!” he spat, as her other arm moved to hit him. He grabbed her wrist hard and Sarah winced with the pain of his grip.

“You would do well to remember that a defeated king is a very dangerous king indeed.”

With that he spun her back to him and gripped her tightly round the waist. In an instant they were gone.


End file.
